Eternal Adoration (ON PAUSE)

20. When The Bell Rings

A/N: Hey y'all! So two things before you read: One, so sorry I've been MIA, but school and life has been kicking my butt. I'm great, but it's been a lot lol. Two, this chapter is mostly filler ends in a cliffhanger! I hate to do that, but I'm in the middle of editing and need to go out to an appointment so will finish editing when I get back and update. Also, please excuse any errors, I was kinda rushing lol. ❤️

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ARISTIDE

For a second, I don't recognize who it is that stands in front of me. All my senses are clouded with the vision that was Seraphina within my arms, body writhing in pleasure, her release coating my fingers.

"Chiara?"

The name sounds foreign in my tongue, like it's never been uttered before when in reality, it's a familiar one. One belonging to a woman I've known practically my whole life. We grew up together, so to speak. Family dinners, birthday parties, graduations.

"Aristide. Will you let me in or will I have to stand here while we talk?" she asks with a smile, throwing her hair back.

As she always had a way of fake smiling or am I just noticing now? For some reason, it also feels as if I'm looking at her for the first time. Small nose, sharp brows, light eyes-why does she feel like a stranger?

I must still be pussy whipped. I guess it's a side effect of witnessing Seraphina's pleasure so vividly while feeling spent from having experienced pleasure so intensely. Good to know.

"Aristide? Hello?" She snaps two fingers in my face and I stare at her blankly. "What's the verdict? Are you going to let me in?"

Focusing on her question and not the scent of Seraphina that is still on my fingers after wiping them on my shorts, I place the gun in my waistband and level her with a look. Hell no I can't let her in.

"What are you doing here?" Behind me, I pull the door forward without shutting it and watch as she glares at it.

"What am I doing here?"

"Precisely." I glance left and right in impatience as her mouth opens and closes in what I assume is confusion. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Y-You can't be serious." She grits her teeth, crossing her arms. "I called you yesterday and you cut me off. I hear, from someone other than you, by the way, that you're planning on getting married to some fucking girl and-"

"I'll say this once, Chiara, and I don't want to have to repeat myself. Watch your fucking mouth."

She narrows her eyes but acquiesces. "I hear from someone that you're getting married-married, Aristide!-and I call you and you give me some bullshit non-answer then don't expect me not to show up? Really?"

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. Despite her little explanation, some things are not adding up. How could she have gotten from New York to Texas with such a quick turnaround?

I suppose she could have purchased a ticket immediately after we spoke on the phone, but I don't think even Chiara is not that impulsive. Or, there's the possibility that she didn't have to purchase a next-day ticket because she was already in Texas when she called. Now this one sounds more like it.

"You were already on the way"-I shake my head. Knowing her, I bet she was here already, nestled in some hotel downtown. "Actually. You were already here when you called, weren't you?"

She fidgets for a second. Bingo.

"Why?" I grind out, Now I just have to find how the hell none of the men under my employ found it fit to alert me of her presence. I bet all my money that she was able to blackmail all of them.